The present invention broadly relates to weapon systems and, in particular, concerns a new and improved marine firing weapon or weapon system containing a plurality of weapon barrels for combating rapidly flying airborne targets located both in zenith and also in azimuth or horizontal.
Generally speaking, the multi-barrel marine weapon system for fighting airborne targets of the, present development is of the type containing an azimuthal alignment or aiming axis and an elevational alignment or aiming axis, there further being provided a device for the infeed of belted ammunition from a stationary ammunition magazine and containing a plurality of flexible ammunition channels leading from the ammunition magazine to the individual weapon barrels.
Weapon systems for combating airborne targets, especially in zenith are known to the art. Reference is specifically made to German Pat. No. 329,461, published Nov. 20, 1920, in which there has been disclosed a marine or naval weapon system which is mounted by means of a Cardan mounting arrangement which contains a device for eliminating the movements of the marine vessel. Furthermore, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,961, granted April 11, 1961, where the azimuth axis and the elevation axis are arranged horizontally and at right angles to one another.
Reference is also particularly made to the French patent of addition No. 23,851, published Jan. 13, 1922, disclosing an armored vehicle upon which there is arranged an automatic firing weapon combined with a cannon. Additionally, the cannon is secured to a support enabling elevation of the cannon such that it can combat targets in zenith. According to FIG. 4 of this French patent the cannon can be moved about a horizontal elevation alignment axis and it can be pivoted about an inclined azimuth alignment axis. The patent does not disclose the manner of infeeding the ammunition.
Furthermore, in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,394, granted July 28, 1981, there is described a marine firing weapon system having an inclined azimuth alignment axis as well as two relatively heavy drum magazines which are secured to the firing weapon. This undesirably appreciably increases the weight of the firing weapon. Aiming of the weapon system at rapidly moving targets, for instance rapidly flying aircraft, is rendered appreciably more difficult because of this additional weight, since appreciably larger forces are needed in order to accelerate the weapon system during the aiming thereof at the rapidly flying target. Additionally, with this known weapon system the azimuth alignment axis and the elevation alignment axis are arranged parallel to the surface of a wedge-shaped socket, so that the azimuth alignment axis is inclined in relation to the horizontal through an angle of about 20.degree..
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,334, granted Sept. 27, 1949, there is described a weapon system, wherein a cartridge infeed device contains a stationary ammunition magazine as well as an elastic belt channel. Here, however, the azimuth alignment axis is vertically arranged, so that there do not arise any problems during the infeed of the ammunition belts from the stationary ammunition magazine to the moveable firing weapon. This weapon system also is not capable of effectively combating airborne targets in zenith.
All of these heretofore known weapon systems are afflicted with the decisive drawback that there is rendered more difficult the infeed of the ammunition. Attempts have been made in order to avoid such drawbacks in that, either as previously explained, the drum magazine is itself arranged upon the moveable weaponry or weapon system, which, however, as also explained, requires larger forces for the acceleration of the weaponry during aiming thereof at a target, or the ammunition is arranged stationarily beneath the weapon system, whereby the azimuth alignment axis is vertically arranged and extends into the zenith. Hence, aiming in zenith is rendered more difficult or impossible, so that targets cannot be combated which are located in zenith.
Other exemplary embodiments of weapon systems have been disclosed by way of example, and not limitation, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,351,370, granted June 13, 1944; 2,479,633, granted Aug. 23, 1949; 2,483,385, granted Sept. 27, 1949; 2,538,045, granted Jan. 16, 1951; 2,582,225, granted Jan. 15, 1952; 2,483,334, granted Dec. 18, 1945 and 2,978,961, granted Dec. 15, 1953; British Pat. Nos. 548,302, granted Oct. 6, 1942; 583,410, granted June 6, 1946; 1,015,309, granted Dec. 31, 1965; 1,337,388, granted Nov. 14, 1973 and 574,673, granted Nov. 30, 1945; German Pat. Nos. 703,943, granted Mar. 19, 1941; 2,051,355, granted Oct. 20, 1970 and 329,461, granted Nov. 20, 1920; and French Pat. Nos. 589,090, granted May 22, 1925; 971,356, granted Jan. 15, 1951; 982,020, granted June 4, 1951; 1,052,733, granted Jan. 26, 1954 and 2,426,239, granted May 18, 1979.